WINDSOR – Have you ever wondered how artists create one-of-a-kind glass beads for jewelry or make hand-thrown pottery? Curiosity will be satisfied when two of Bertie County’s own give demonstrations on the arts as part of the Fourth Annual Cashie River Festival from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. here Saturday, October 25 in downtown Windsor.

Mary Dee Carraway will demonstrate the art of glass blowing to create glass beads for jewelry and Dr. Martha Sue Carraway will use a potter’s wheel to show how hand-thrown pottery is made. Items made will be for sale. The demonstrations will be at the new Bertie Arts Center at 124 King Street, formerly Bertie Ledger-Advance building, which has been renovated after damage caused by 1999 flooding and will open in time for the festival.

The Carraway sisters, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Carraway of Windsor, are two of many artists from Bertie, Hertford and Wake counties as well as those from Virginia who are participating in a Juried Art Show and Sale from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Martin Community College/Bertie Campus. The show will award first and second place prizes, several honorable mentions and purchase awards.

Bertie County artists who had registered as of October 12 to exhibit their work include Viola Veale of Lewiston Woodville; Lib Nelson and Dr. Fred Saunders of Aulander; Judy Overton, Barbara Sant, Kim Brockhum, Cleo Warwick, Phyllis Johnson and Fay Calvert of Windsor.

The festival opens with a children’s parade at 10 a.m. on King Street. Then children and parents are invited to visit the Children’s World tent for art projects that include games, face painting, sand art, fabric painting and jewelry crafts. Staff from Historic Hope Foundation will demonstrate the lost art of making pine straw dolls. The tent will be in the parking lot beside Bertie County Courthouse. Isabelle the Clown will entertain children with a magic show in the same area.

A craft show and sale is planned on King Street. Local crafters who had registered as of October 12 include Helen White of Colerain, who offers handcrafted pins and plaques and knitted items; Judy Overton of Windsor, ceramics, wooden items and baskets; Margie Hassell of Plymouth, seasonal arrangements and hand-painted mailboxes, glassware, wooden items, gourds and Christmas ornaments; Ken Attkisson of Windsor, hand-crafted jewelry; and Tammy Jarrell of Merry Hill, hand-painted ceramics, tea cup birdfeeders and mosaic art on canvas.

Locally produced items ranging from honey to peanuts will be for sale. Staff from Cashie Medical Center will provide free blood pressure and sugar checks.

Self-guided Historic Walking Tours are planned from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and begin at Bertie Arts Center, where maps are available. Guides from Historic Hope will be stationed at key areas along the walk to speak about significant buildings in Windsor.

A large pontoon boat will provide free rides along Cashie River. Food vendors will have special treats and local merchants will have sales to coincide with the festival, which ends with a performance by Hunt Family Fiddlers near Bertie County Courthouse about 3:30 p.m.

Clint and Sandy Hunt and their seven children have become favorite performers for churches, youth groups, weddings, nursing homes and formal dinners. The family’s range of music goes from the classics of the string quartet and violin to festive fiddling and jigs to lively Irish step dancing.

The Hunt Family has entertained at the Neptune Festival, Op Sail Event and Busch Gardens. The family has preliminary championship Irish dancers, award winning fiddlers and singers.

Cashie River Festival offers a day of free entertainment for the entire family. In case of inclement weather, activities planned outdoors will be at Planters Warehouse. Visitors may stop at the new Arts Center to pick up schedules of events and locations.